Since the start of the ‘Låtlån’ (‘Borrow a
Tune’) project in March this year, 6,457 library
users at the Deichman Library in Oslo
and the public library in Bergen have taken
advantage of this new service. The project
allows registered borrowers at these two
libraries access to 50,000 musical recordings.
In the first five and a half months no
less than 42,106 loans were registered,
showing this to be a very popular service.
The scheme was operated for a test period
of six months from March to August
2004 and represents the final phase
of a project stretching over several
years, partly funded by the former
Norwegian Directorate for Public Libraries
in 2001 and 2002 and by the
Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum
Authority in 2003. The first part of
the project was based on cooperation
between the Bergen public library and
Phonofile, an organisation set up by almost
100 Norwegian-owned recording
companies specifically to manage their
digital copyrights. In this early phase of
the project a centre was established in
the Bergen library, where members of
the public could tune in to tracks from
Phonofile’s musical database of 50,000
Norwegian works. In the final phase of
the project cooperation was extended
to include the Deichman Library in
Oslo and the service was upgraded to
make it possible to lend out musical
tracks.
Lending takes place by streaming on
users’ computers, so that the loan period
lasts just as long as it takes to hear
the track. Registered borrowers at the
two libraries must log on to the service
via MappaMi, an existing Internet service
for reservations, renewals, etc. connected
to the library system, Bibliofil.
The process of logging on to MappaMi
means that access can be restricted to
registered library users and that the library
can, if necessary, control the individual
borrower’s use of the service.
If in future this service is to be extended
to more libraries, developing similar
access functions should not represent
a problem to other suppliers of library
systems. The main challenges will
therefore lie in reaching satisfactory
agreements with Phonofile concerning
reimbursement for the use of their database
and how to finance these costs.
In addition solutions should be found
which are not dependent upon the use
of Windows operative system and
Windows Media Player, since the situation
today constitutes a technical limitation
on public access. For musicloving
library users it will be interesting
to follow further developments
after the end of the project.
Translated by Eric Deverill
